Pipe pick and tamper



July 14, 1959 E. F. WISMER, JR

PIPE PICK AND TAMPER Filed Aug. 11, 1955 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UnitedSates. Patent PIPE PICK AND TAMPER Eli F. Wismer, Jr., Havertown, Pa.Application August 11, 1955, Serial No. 527,836 3 Claims. (Cl. 131-243)The'present invention relates to pipe picks and tampers, and moreparticularly to'such structures which are combined in aunitaryconstruction soas to be readily available when' needed.

The primary object ofthe invention is to provide a pipe pick and tamperwhereinthe pipe pick and tamper maybe operated with a: single operatingplunger with means to selectively project the pick or tamper as desired.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a structure of the classdescribed in which the pick and/or tamper may be springretracted tostored position.

A furtherobjectof the invention is to provide a combined pick and tamperinwhich the pick or the tamper may beselectively locked in operatingposition by a singleoperator. 1

Other objects and advantages will: become apparent in thefollowingspecification when considered in light of the attached drawings, 1 inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the invention; v

Figure 2 is afragmentary side elevation of the invention shown'partlybroken-away for clarity and omitting the operatingspring;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the invention with the pick in extendedlocked position;

Figure 4 is a view-similar to Figure 3, showing the tamper is extendedlocked position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged'exploded viewofthe elements comprising thecombined pick and tamper;

Figure6isa transverse'cross section takerralong the line 6--6 of Figure3';

Figure 7 is a transverse cross section taken along the line "77 ofFigure 4;

.Figure 8 is a transverse cross section taken along the line-8--8'ofFigure 3, and

Figure an a transverse cross section taken along the line 9-9 ofFigure'4:

Referringnow to the drawings indetail wherein like reference numeralsindicate like parts'throughout the several figures; the referencenumeral ltl in'dicates generally a combined pipe pick and tamperillustrated as attached to a lighter 11, which is illustrated as havinga cover 12, a thumb wheel 13, a flint wheel 14, wick 15, all of aconventional construction. The combined pipe pick and tamper 10 includesa housing 16 which is illustrated in Figure 1 as being formed integrallywith a lighter 11 but which may be attached by any suitable means.

In Figures 2 through 9, the housing 16 has been shown as a cylinder 16aseparate from the lighter 11. For purposes of the invention, however,the housing 16 and cylinder 16a are identical.

The cylinder 16a is provided with an inner end wall 17 and is open atits opposite end 18. The inner end wall 17 has an open axial bore sector19 extending therethrough and a substantially larger open axial boresector 20, also extending therethrough and in communication with thebore sector 19. The wall 21 of the cylinder 16a is provided with alongitudinally extending slot 22 which begins adjacent the open end 18of the cylinder 16a and terminates at a point spaced from the inner endwall 17. A short circumferential slot 23 extends from the base 24 of theslot 22 to provide an oltset adjacent/the inner end of the slot 22.

A second cylindrical member 25 having an external size slightly smallerthan the internal size of the cylinder 16a is mounted for reciprocationwithin the cylinder 16a. Cylinder 25 is provided with a closed outer endwall 26 and'an inner end wall 27. The end wall 27 is provided with anopen axial bore sector 28 and with a somewhat larger open axial boresector 29, also extending therethrough and in communication with theaxial bore sector 28. The aperture formed by the bore sectors 28 and 2-9is identical in shape and size with the apertures formed by the'sect'ors19 and 20. A coil spring 30 is positioned within the cylinder 16a andextends between the inner face of the inner end wall 17 and theconfronting face of theend wall 27 tonormally bias the cylinder 25 outof the cylinder 16a. Cylinder 25 is provided adjacent the end wall 27with a threaded bore 31 in which is mounted a stop screw 32. Stop screw32 projects radially outwardly from the cylinder 25 into the slot 22 soas to secure the cylinder 25 in the cylinder 16a, while at the same timepermitting reciprocal movement therebetween.

A pick-shaft 33 is mounted on the end wall 26 at 34 by any suitablemeans, such as welding or the like, and extends completelythrough'thecylinder 25 through the sectors 28 and 29, and projectsbeyond the end wall 27 asubstantial distance terminating in a sharpenedpipe pickingpoint' 35. The end wall 27 is provided with a screw-threadedbore 36 adjacent one edge ofthe sec tor 29 and a stop'screw 37 isadapted to be screwed therein so as to project therefrom for a purposeto be later described.

A cylindrical pipe tamper head 38 is' provided with a sector: shapeshaft 39 extending axially therefrom and with a second somewhat largersector shaped second cylindrical shaft 40 formed integrally with theshaft 39"as'shown inFig. 6. A central longitudinal bore 41 extendsthrough the shaft 39 and through the tamper 3'8 and has a diameterslightly larger than the diameter of the pipe pick shaft 33. Shaft 40,formed integrally with the shaft 39', is slotted transversely of thelongitudinal axis thereof at- 42 adjacent the outer end '43; with theslot 42' extending completely through the shaft 40 to the shaft 39. Atits opposite-end, the shaft 40 termi nates at apoint 44 spaced fromthecylindrical pipe tamper 38 *a-distance equal to the width of the slot 42forminga second slot 45.

Thepick 33extends through'the bore 41 and the shafts 39 and 40 areadapted to extend through the sectors 19, 20-=and 28,29." Thebor'e'sector' 20'extending through the inner end wall 17 is: slightlyless than h'alf a complete circle, and the bore sector 29 is likewisesomewhat less than half a complete circle, with the bore sectors 20 and29 being positioned diametrically opposite each other approximatelyapart about the axial center of the cylinders 16a and 25. The stop screw32 may be engaged in the slot 22 to prevent general rotation between thecylinders 16a and 25, and the circumferential slot 23 is sufficientlyshort to limit the degree of rotation of the cylinder 25 with relationto the cylinder 16a such that the sectors 20 and 29 cannot be aligned.

The bore sector 20 normally encompasses the shaft 40 so as to preventrelative rotation between the pipe tamper 38 and the cylinder 16a.However, when the cylinder 16a and the pipe tamper 38 are positioned sothat the pipe tamper 38 is in engagement with the inner end wall 17 ofthe cylinder 16a, the slot 45 becomes aligned with the inner end wall 17so that rotation of the tamper 38 may occur with relation to thecylinder 16a.

The outer end 43 of the shaft 39 extends through the bore sector 28 andthe end wall 27 of the cylinder 25, and is adapted to be positioned sothat the shaft 40 is received in the bore sector 29 in such a way thatrelative reciprocation may occur between the cylinder 25 and the shaft39. With the slot 4-2 positioned for engagement with the end wall 27,rotation of the pipe tamper 38 will cause the end wall 27 to engage inthe slot 42 lock ing the shaft 39 to the cylinder 25 for axial movementtherewith.

The stop screw 37 is adapted to engage the flat faces of the shaft 40 tolimit the rotational movement thereof with respect to the cylinder 25.Rotation of the shaft 39 in a direction reverse to that which locked theshaft 39 to the cylinder 25 will align the shaft 40 with the bore sector29 and simultaneously engage the slot 45 with the inner end wall 17 tolock the shaft 39 to the cylinder 16a.

In the use and operation of the invention, when it is desired to operatethe device as a pipe pick, the shaft 40 is aligned with the bore sector29 by rotating the pipe tamper 38. The rotation of the pipe tamper 38simultaneously releases the shaft 39 from the cylinder 25 and locks itto the cylinder 16a. The outer end 26 of the cylinder 25 may then bepressed with the finger and the pipe pick 33 will become exposed, asshown in Figure 3.

Rotation of the cylinder 25 with relation to the cylinder 16a will causethe stop screw 32 to engage in the slot 23 to lock the cylinder 25 inposition in the cylinder 16a with the pipe pick projecting. After thepipe has been cleaned with the pipe pick 33, the cylinder 25 is rotatedwith respect to cylinder 16a to release the stop screw 32 from the slot23 so that the spring 30 can force the cylinder 25 to its outermostposition with the stop screw 32 in engagement with the outermost end ofthe slot 22.

When it is desired to use the pipe tamper portion of the invention, thepipe tamper 38 is revolved in a direction reverse to that mentionedabove and the slot 42 becomes locked to the end wall 27 while the slot45 is released from the inner end wall 17. Pressure of the finger on endwall 26 will then cause the cylinder 25 to move in the cylinder 16a withthe pipe tamper 38 being moved outwardly away from the cylinder 16a asin Fig. 4. Upon completion of the movement of the cylinder 25 within thecylinder 16a, cylinder 25 may be rotated slightly to cause the stopscrew 32 to seat in the slot 23 to lock the pipe tamper 38 in extendedposition. Reverse rotation of the cylinder 25 will release the stopscrew. 32 from the slot 23 to permit the shaft 39 to be retracted withinthe cylinder 16a.

Having thus described the preferred form of the invention, it should beunderstood that numerous modifications and structural adaptations may beresorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand operated implement comprising a hollow cylindrical housingwith another end thereof open, an

inner end wall fixed to the end of said housing opposite said open end,a hollow plunger adapted to be telescoped through the open end of saidhousing into said housing end arranged for reciprocation into and out ofsaid housing, said plunger having opposed inner and outer end walls, acoil spring in said housing normally biasing said plunger in a directionout of said housing, the inner end wall of said housing and of saidplunger each having identically shaped openings therein with saidopenings each comprising a first axial bore sector and a second axialbore sector communicating therewith with said second axial bore sectorhaving a diameter substantially greater than said first bore sector,means securing said plunger to said housing for sliding movementrelative thereto with said openings in said inner end wall of saidhousing and said plunger having the respective second axial bore sectorsthereof displaced circumferentially substantially an elongated memberhaving a transverse crosssection of a shape the same as said openingsand sufficiently smaller to permit free movement of said member throughsaid openings, a cylindrical head fixed to one end of said elongatedmember said member having a transverse slot formed between said head andsaid one end thereof and a second slot formed adjacent the opposite endthereof for selective engagement with the respective end walls of saidhousing and said plunger upon rotation of said member releasably lockingsaid member selectively to said housing and to said plunger, said memberhaving an axial bore formed therein, and an elongated rod mounted onsaid plunger and slidably movable in the bore in said member wherebysaid rod may be projected from said member by moving said plungerinwardly of said housing with said member locked to said housing andwhen locked to said plunger said member and said rod beingsimultaneously projected from said housing on moving said plungerinwardly of said housing.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said member is releasablylocked to said housing by rotation of said member in one direction andis releasably locked to said plunger by rotation of said member in theopposite direction.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein means are provided on saidhousing whereby said plunger is releasably secured to said housing withsaid plunger in its innermost position in said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS604,250 Jocelyn May 17, 1898 814,020 Cliiford Mar. '6, 1906 2,632,489Johnson Mar. 24, 1953 2,718,249 Hill Sept. 20, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS H203,754 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1939 602,517 Great Britain May 28, 1948621,680 Germany Nov. 1 1, 1945

